New repair station aiding cyclists

Bike path now offers fix-it site

By Sam Wildow - swildow@aimmedianetwork.com

Mike Ullery | Daily Call Mike O’Donnell and Stu Shear of Warren Lodge #24 of the F&AM of Ohio are joined by Piqua Mayor Kazy Hinds to demonstrate the city’s new Fix-It Bike Repair Station, located on the bike path, directly behind the Piqua city building. The station was funded by a grant from the Piqua Community Foundation, private donations, and Warren Lodge #24. The station provides an air pump and a variety of bicycle repair tools to provide cyclists with a convenient spot for bicycle repairs and maintenance.

Mike Ullery | Daily Call The new Fix-It Bike Repair Station is located on the Piqua bike path directly behind the city building. It provides a location for cyclists to put air into tires and offers an assortment of repair tools to make on-the-go repairs.

PIQUA — A new addition has joined the bike path in the form of a Bike Fix-It station to help bicyclists in need of emergency repairs while out riding or traveling.

Warren Lodge #24 F&AM Masonic Lodge in Piqua raised approximately $1,500 for the new bike repair station, which is situated behind the municipal building at 201 W. Water St. They utilized a grant from the Piqua Community Foundation, private donations, and donations from the Warren Lodge #24 in order to make the goal of late lodge member Nathan Coppock a reality.

“The brother who had this idea and was pushing it — and we were beginning to work on — he died last December,” said Mike O’Donnell, past master, secretary, and chaplain of Warren Lodge #24. O’Donnell also presented the new bike repair station with Stu Shear, past master, trustee, and treasurer, on Friday afternoon.

“We still wanted to do it, so we did it with an idea in memory of Nate,” O’Donnell said.

Coppock was senior warden at Warren Lodge #24 at the time he passed away.

O’Donnell explained that Coppock found out that other towns had similiar bike repair stations, so it became an objective of his to keep Piqua on track with the increasingly popular cycling lifestyle. “We continued his dream of having a bike repair station. He didn’t want Piqua to be second best to anybody,” O’Donnell said.

The bike repair station features numerous tools, a rack from which to a hang a bicycle, and also an air pump. There is also a Quick Response Code (QR code) on the station itself, which owners of smart phones can scan using a QR code reader app to get detailed instructions on how to do specific repairs.

Overall, O’Donnell and Shear said that this gift to bicyclists in need on the bike path fits with the giving spirit and helping hand of the Masons.

Warren Lodge #24 is looking to continue adding more repair stations along the bike path as they continue to apply for other grants.

“It’s one more amenity on the bike trail system that continues to build upon the tremendous investment we’ve made in our community,” Piqua City Planner Chris Schmiesing said. “It signals to our citizens and cyclists that our community’s committed to making Piqua as bicycle-friendly as it can be.”

As a side note, Schmiesing explained that the city also has a device that tracks the number of cyclists and pedestrians who pass by on the path. According to that data, over 7,400 people utilized the path in July, which included over 3,300 cyclists and over 4,000 pedestrians.

“As Bike Piqua, definitely our bicycle group is very pleased to have something like this,” Jim Hemmert of Bike Piqua said. “To be able to have something like this in case of an emergency, you can’t beat it.”

Mike Ullery | Daily Call Mike O’Donnell and Stu Shear of Warren Lodge #24 of the F&AM of Ohio are joined by Piqua Mayor Kazy Hinds to demonstrate the city’s new Fix-It Bike Repair Station, located on the bike path, directly behind the Piqua city building. The station was funded by a grant from the Piqua Community Foundation, private donations, and Warren Lodge #24. The station provides an air pump and a variety of bicycle repair tools to provide cyclists with a convenient spot for bicycle repairs and maintenance.

https://www.dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2016/08/web1_081216mju_piqua_bikerepairstation1.jpgMike Ullery | Daily Call Mike O’Donnell and Stu Shear of Warren Lodge #24 of the F&AM of Ohio are joined by Piqua Mayor Kazy Hinds to demonstrate the city’s new Fix-It Bike Repair Station, located on the bike path, directly behind the Piqua city building. The station was funded by a grant from the Piqua Community Foundation, private donations, and Warren Lodge #24. The station provides an air pump and a variety of bicycle repair tools to provide cyclists with a convenient spot for bicycle repairs and maintenance.

Mike Ullery | Daily Call The new Fix-It Bike Repair Station is located on the Piqua bike path directly behind the city building. It provides a location for cyclists to put air into tires and offers an assortment of repair tools to make on-the-go repairs.

https://www.dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2016/08/web1_081216mju_piqua_bikerepairstation2.jpgMike Ullery | Daily Call The new Fix-It Bike Repair Station is located on the Piqua bike path directly behind the city building. It provides a location for cyclists to put air into tires and offers an assortment of repair tools to make on-the-go repairs.